Impacts of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 on New Mexico Agriculture

Clyde Eastman

Abstract

The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 will almost certainly permanently alter the structure of New Mexico agriculture. The first question in many producers' minds is: Will there be enough agricultural labor in the future? Answering that question with any degree of confidence requires consideration of the complexities of the law, the human responses to it and the changing nature of agriculture itself. The purpose of this study is to assess the impacts of IRCA on New Mexico agriculture focusing particular attention on the continued availability of chile and onion harvest labor.